Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Toronto, ON (PRWEB) December 10, 2013

Thermo-Bilt Windows & Doors (http://thermo-bilt-windows.com/), the Greater Toronto Areas leading provider of custom window and door replacement, is weighing in on recent news that Ontario electricity rates will continue to rise, soaring 33% over the next three years under the Liberals long-term energy plan. The company is also providing its top energy-savings tips to help Ontarians deal with the highest electricity rates in Canada.

The Ontario government recently revealed its long-term energy plan. Most significant is the fact that Ontario homeowners are faced with a 33% hike in electricity rates over the next three years. The average monthly bill in Ontario today is around $125.00 per month, but by 2016, it will jump to $167.00, and within 20 years, Ontarians will pay an average of $210.00 per month. (Source: Ontario power rates to rise under new plan, CBC web site, December 2, 2013; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-power-rates-to-rise-under-new-plan-1.2448028.)

One of the reasons for the rate hike is the end of the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit in 2015, which takes 10% off part of a hydro bill. Instead of giving Ontarians a break on their energy bill, the provincial government is introducing programs designed to encourage ratepayers to use less power, says Adrian Biberberg, co-owner and founder of Thermo-Bilt Windows & Doors. Over the next two decades, the government expects Ontarians to increase energy conservation by 11% by making a number of changes.

One of the ideas being proposed by the Ontario government is a new program to offer loans for renovations that increase energy efficiencies, including windows and doors, the cost of which will be added to the users monthly hydro bill. Even though windows only take up 510% of the surface area exposed to outside temperatures, they can account for as much as 30% of a homes heat loss. (Source: Energy Loss Through Windows and Doors, Newmarket Hydro web site; http://www.nmhydro.on.ca/pdf/tips/Energy%20loss%20through%20windows%20and%20doors.pdf, last accessed December 9, 2013.)

Hydro bills are set to rise significantly, meaning Toronto families and businesses will continue to pay the highest electricity rates in Canada. On November 1, electricity prices went up three percent alone, Biberberg adds. In an effort to save money and make homes more energy efficient, property owners in the Greater Toronto Area should consider installing windows designed to withstand Ontarios harsh winters.

The experts at Thermo-Bilt Window & Doors understand that windows and doors that qualify for the Energy Star mark have been independently tested and certified to be among the most energy efficient on the market. As a result, installing them to homes and offices in the GTA can reduce energy consumption and save property owners money. On top of that, energy-efficient windows can increase comfort, reduce outside noise levels, and cut down on condensation in cold weather. Windows manufactured with a low-emissivity coating can also reduce energy loss by as much as 3050%. (Source: Energy Conservation and Efficiency Tips, Canadian Oil Heat Association, Ontario Chapter web site; http://www.coha-ontario.ca/publications/energy_conservation_and_efficiency_tips.html, last accessed December 9, 2013.)

Thermo-Bilt Windows and Doors is the leading windows and doors replacement provider in Toronto and surrounding GTA. The company carries a complete line of windows, including casement windows, bow windows and bay windows, single-and double-hung windows, and single and double sliders, as well as awning and vinyl windows. Thermo-Bilt Windows and Doors wide range of window and door styles are designed to suit any home and budget. Thermo-Bilt Windows & Doors serves the GTA, including Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Vaughan, Scarborough, Markham, Richmond Hill, Woodbridge, and Aurora. To learn more about Thermo-Bilt Windows & Doors, visit the companys web site at http://thermo-bilt-windows.com/ or call 1- 877-727-2458.

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Thermo-Bilt Windows & Doors, Toronto’s Leading Window and Door Company, Responds to Ontario’s 33% Energy Rate Hike and ...

Burlingame, CA (PRWEB) December 11, 2013

Marvin Windows and Doors has introduced the most innovative integrated interior shades solution on the market, and the first window and door fashions are now available through Alexander Company.

Marvins Interior Shades fit seamlessly to work as an integrated solution, and offer unmatched functionality, beauty, and performance. They also offer the following unique attributes and solutions:

Alexander Company is located at 1322 Marsten Road in Burlingame, California. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.alexandercoba.com/, or call 650-288-0297.

About the company:
Since 1971, Alexander Company has provided residents and businesses of the peninsula and all of the San Francisco Bay Area with the very best in home windows and doors. As a family-owned and operated business, Alexander Company has provided the Bay Area with window replacement services, window repair, window installation, door installation, and door replacement. They proudly carry the top window manufacturers in the country in the showroom in Burlingame. Give Alexander Company a call today to find out more about their exceptional line of windows and doors at (650)288-0297.

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Alexander Company Now Carrying New Marvin Interior Shade System

THE CHATHAMS The School District of the Chathams is among school districts throughout the state that will get a share of $507.7 million in state Department of Education facilities grants.

The district has been awarded $317,379 for five projects totaling $793,500.

District Business Administrator Peter Daquila said the funding is for five projects, including bathroom upgrades at Chatham High School, side walk replacement, partial window replacement and bathroom upgrades at Chatham Middle School, and bathroom upgrades at the Washington Avenue School.

The grant money comprises 40 percent of the project costs, Daquila said.

The total grant amount will help fund the cost of 1,538 individual school construction projects in 331 districts.

Of the state funding, $27.9 million will go to support 122 projects in 28 districts in Morris County, including the projects in the School District of the Chathams.

The funding comes from the states School Development Authority, and represent at least 40 percent of eligible costs for projects in what are known as Regular Operating Districts. The projects address health and safety issues, student overcrowding and other critical needs.

The grants are also contingent on local approval of the remaining cost to school districts.

ROD grants are separate from the funding for the so-called 31 SDA districts, where the Authority is responsible for financing 100 percent of all eligible costs.

Continued here:
Chatham schools get $317K in state grants

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Governing board, staff and clients of the Graham County Rehabilitation Center celebrate receiving a $30,000 grant from the United Way. The money will be used to install a heating and cooling system in the GCRC facility on Main Street in Safford.

Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 12:00 am

GCRC gets United Way grant Contributed article Eastern Arizona Courier |

SAFFORD The United Way Grant Committee awarded $30,000 to Graham County Rehabilitation Center, which will be used to install a heating and cooling system in the new GCRC retail space in historic Downtown Safford.

This additional space enables GCRC to provide more opportunities for group-supported employment for adults with developmental disabilities. It will also provide additional employment opportunities for after-school and Saturday work for high school students with developmental disabilities enrolled in transition from school-to-work programs.

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GCRC gets United Way grant

Highly insulating triple-pane windows keep a house snug and cozy, but it takes two decades or more for the windows to pay off financially based on utility-bill savings, according to a report by energy efficiency experts at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The findings are being presented Dec. 4, 2013 by PNNL research engineer Sarah Widder at the Buildings XII Conference in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The meeting is sponsored by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).

The report by Widder and senior staff engineer Graham Parker is based on a study at PNNL's Lab Homes, a pair of identical manufactured homes used to study energy efficiency. Researchers replace one item at a time in one home, such as the windows or the water heater, then compare the performance of the homes.

For this study, the PNNL team studied the effect of replacing aluminum-frame double-pane windows, which are common in homes across the country, with newer, triple-pane windows, also known as highly insulating windows. The team found that the newer windows slash energy use in the home by 12.2 percent. But because of the cost of the highly insulating windows, it would take anywhere from 23 to 55 years for the reduced energy cost to make up for the increased expense.

"A savings of 12 percent on whole-house energy consumption is substantial, especially when you're talking about changing a relatively small percentage of a home's envelope," said Parker, a founder of the Lab Homes project. "But the windows are expensive."

The team notes that there are many other factors to consider in addition to money when deciding whether to install highly insulating windows.

"Comfort is also important," said Parker. "The windows cut down dramatically on cold air radiating from the windows and they reduce temperature variations in the home, where some areas will be much warmer or cooler than others. They also nearly eliminate the formation of condensation on the inside of the window which can lead to mold growth and unhealthy indoor air. It's hard to put a dollar value on comfort and health."

The PNNL team found an added value during summer months: The newer windows, which have low-emissivity (low-e) coatings that reduce internal solar heat gain, slashed energy consumption by almost 25 percent during peak cooling times on hot summer afternoons. That benefit is passed along to utilities as less demand on the overall electricity grid at times when demand and price are highest, Widder said.

Lab homes - an energy laboratory in a home environment Each of the lab homes is about 1,500 square feet and is equipped with more than three dozen sensors which hang from the ceiling or are attached to windows, walls, and other areas throughout the home. The sensors record information on temperature, humidity, and the amount of sunlight entering through windows. Instruments outside the homes record temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, barometric pressure, and wind direction.

The house has 196 square feet of windows, including two large sliding glass patio doors and eight other windows.

Continued here:
Highly insulating windows are very energy efficient, though expensive

TERRE HAUTE Crews from a Wabash Valley heating and cooling business traveled in two different directions one went north and the other south during the early, cold Saturday hours with one mission for the day: to bring warmth to two Terre Haute homes this season.

The technicians at Paitson Bros Heating and Air Conditioning and a representative from its furnace supplier, Lennox Industries, volunteered their time and talents to help keep two families safe and warm this winter.

As part of Operation Warm Christmas, Paitson Bros and Lennox Industries have partnered to provide two families in need with a brand new Lennox heating system. Lennox Industries supplied a high efficiency gas furnace to one home and an electric air handler to the other. Paitson Bros supplied the labor, thermostat, gas pipe and other necessary equipment for installation.

All free of charge to the families.

Paitson Bros General Manager Ethan Rayburn said this is the companys and the employees way of giving back to the community.

Our guys [are] skilled at putting in furnaces. One way we can contribute and give back to Terre Haute is to do furnace work, he said.

Especially during the holidays.

This is the time of year when we are receiving a gift. Its our way of giving a gift back, Rayburn said.

And this gift was substantial.

The retail value of the gas furnace installed at one of the homes was about $4,500, Rayburn said. The electric one cost about $3,000.

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Operation Warm Christmas: Giving warmth

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